Research Program Manager for Marine Science and Technology

About the Job

The University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) seeks a Research Program Manager to lead program development, coordination, and implementation of a diverse portfolio focused on marine and large‑lake systems science, marine engineering, underwater acoustics, underwater technology innovation, and sustainable maritime operations. This role will support the planning phase for a new Institute for Marine Science and Technology (IMaST) by coordinating the activities between the university researchers, industry, and federal agencies.

The Research Program Manager will play a leadership role in planning and preparing IMaST's interdisciplinary mission by developing and managing sponsored research and technology initiatives. This position combines sponsor‑facing program management (planning, contracting, reporting) with technical fluency in aquatic and marine sciences, environmental data systems, underwater acoustics, maritime engineering, and applied technology development. The Program Manager will engage with federal, state, tribal, and industry collaborators, including agencies such as NOAA, NSF, ONR, DOE, DoD, DARPA, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and regional and private‑sector sponsors.

The incumbent will align IMaST's research strengths, technology development priorities, and workforce advancement goals with sponsor needs. This position will operationally report to the IMaST Task Force and will work closely with faculty, staff, and leaders in the Large Lakes Observatory (LLO), Minnesota Sea Grant (MNSG), Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI), College of Science and Engineering, UMD's administrative units, and other partners and collaborators at the University of Minnesota.

(

Reports to:

Director of Minnesota Sea Grant and Director of the Large Lakes Observatory.)

• Identify, develop, and pursue funding opportunities from industry and federal agencies such as NOAA, NSF, ONR, DOE, EPA, DoD, DARPA, and DHS, as well as state, tribal, and other private sponsors.
• Lead the development of competitive proposals, from concept notes and white papers to full submissions, ensuring compliance and timely delivery.
• Build interdisciplinary teams across the UMN system and external partners (universities, labs, agencies, and industry).
• Establish proposal pipelines and success metrics; coordinate with federal relations and communications for sponsor engagement.
• Strengthen IMaST's visibility through strategic briefings, proposals, and stakeholder presentations.

• Serve as PI or co‑PI on selected programs involving marine engineering and technology, underwater acoustics, autonomous maritime technologies, or data sciences / machine learning.
• Define project milestones, deliverables, and budgets; manage execution and reporting to meet sponsor expectations.
• Mentor students and staff in proposal writing, project management, and interdisciplinary teamwork.
• Disseminate research outcomes through publications, technical reports, and presentations.

• Serve as the primary liaison with industry, federal, and state sponsors, including ARO, AFOSR, ONR, DARPA, DoD, DHS, NASA, and other federal agencies, as well as regional and private collaborators.
• Coordinate sponsor meetings, reviews, and technology demonstrations; represent IMaST in national and regional research initiatives.
• Support sponsor engagement with workforce and education programs to connect research activities with student training opportunities.
• Translate sponsor feedback into actionable research and program strategies.

• Manage award and contract administration, including scopes of work, budgets, and modifications.
• Ensure compliance with University and sponsor regulations (including FAR/DFARS and OTA frameworks).
• Maintain integrated project schedules, risk registers, and performance metrics.
• Prepare and submit sponsor reports (technical, progress, and financial) and oversee subawards and MOUs.

• Supervise…